A stay of execution for Peter Hain?

Gordon Brown, in typical Pontius Pilate mode, has indicated that Peter Hain’s fate now rests with the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. That being so, our absent-minded Work and Pensions Secretary will be breathing a sigh of relief.

Peter Hain may have to wait several weeks to know his fate

For neither the Commission nor the Commissioner can be accused of having an excess of investigatory zeal. In the case of the Electoral Commission, that is largely because its remit precludes aggressive intervention. Its role is the much more passive one of overseeing the electoral process and issues such as party funding. Don’t expect any fireworks.

As for John Lyon, the Parliamentary  Standards Commissioner,  this case will prove something of a test of his mettle. He took up the job just a fortnight ago and the first item in his in-tray is this absolute belter of a sleaze row. The big question for Mr Lyon is which of his predecessors will he emulate?

His immediate predecessor, Phillip Mawer, was not one of nature’ boat-rockers which is, of course, the way MPs liked it. That is not in any way to impugn his effectiveness; it’s just that he brought a low-key style to the job which gave the unfortunate impression that our legislators were being kept on a pretty light rein.

Or will Mr Lyon be more like the formidable Elizabeth Filkin? She rattled the bars at Westminster to such effect -  her “victims” included Keith Vaz, John Reid, William Hague and Geoffrey Robinson that she was effectively forced out of the job in one of the shabbiest displays of self-serving by parliamentarians in living memory. 

Whichever approach Mr Lyon takes, one thing is certain. It will be weeks, perhaps months, before he is in a position to deliver any kind of verdict. The Electoral Commission will probably work to a similar timescale in its inquiry. Barring any fresh disclosures about his murky deputy leadership campaign, for the moment, at least, Mr Hain may therefore be off the hook.